Collagen peptide supplementation before bedtime reduces sleep fragmentation and improves cognitive function in physically active males with sleep complaints

PURPOSE

The primary aim of this study was to examine whether a glycine-rich collagen peptides (CP) supplement could enhance sleep quality in physically active men with self-reported sleep complaints.

METHODS

In a randomized, crossover design, 13 athletic males (age: 24 ± 4 years; training volume; 7 ± 3 h·wk1) with sleep complaints (Athens Insomnia Scale, 9 ± 2) consumed CP (15 g·day1) or a placebo control (CON) 1 h before bedtime for 7 nights. Sleep quality was measured with subjective sleep diaries and actigraphy for 7 nights; polysomnographic sleep and core temperature were recorded on night 7. Cognition, inflammation, and endocrine function were measured on night 7 and the following morning. Subjective sleepiness and fatigue were measured on all 7 nights. The intervention trials were separated by ≥ 7 days and preceded by a 7-night familiarisation trial.

RESULTS

Polysomnography showed less awakenings with CP than CON (21.3 ± 9.7 vs. 29.3 ± 13.8 counts, respectively; P = 0.028). The 7-day average for subjective awakenings were less with CP vs. CON (1.3 ± 1.5 vs. 1.9 ± 0.6 counts, respectively; P = 0.023). The proportion of correct responses on the baseline Stroop cognitive test were higher with CP than CON (1.00 ± 0.00 vs. 0.97 ± 0.05 AU, respectively; P = 0.009) the morning after night 7. There were no trial differences in core temperature, endocrine function, inflammation, subjective sleepiness, fatigue and sleep quality, or other measures of cognitive function or sleep (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CP supplementation did not influence sleep quantity, latency, or efficiency, but reduced awakenings and improved cognitive function in physically active males with sleep complaints.

Molecular Mechanisms for Changing Brain Connectivity in Mice and Humans

The goal of this study was to examine commonalities in the molecular basis of learning in mice and humans. In previous work we have demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus (HC) are involved in learning a two-choice visuospatial discrimination task. Here, we began by looking for candidate genes upregulated in mouse ACC and HC with learning. We then determined which of these were also upregulated in mouse blood. Finally, we used RT-PCR to compare candidate gene expression in mouse blood with that from humans following one of two forms of learning: a working memory task (network training) or meditation (a generalized training shown to change many networks). Two genes were upregulated in mice following learning: caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 6 (Card6) and inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (Impdh2). The Impdh2 gene product catalyzes the first committed step of guanine nucleotide synthesis and is tightly linked to cell proliferation. The Card6 gene product positively modulates signal transduction. In humans, Card6 was significantly upregulated, and Impdh2 trended toward upregulation with training. These genes have been shown to regulate pathways that influence nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a factor previously found to be related to enhanced synaptic function and learning.

Hippocampal differential expression underlying the neuroprotective effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol microdose on old mice

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant and an exogenous ligand of the endocannabinoid system. In previous studies, we demonstrated that a single microdose of THC (0.002 mg/kg, 3-4 orders of magnitude lower than the standard dose for rodents) exerts distinct, long-term neuroprotection in model mice subjected to acute neurological insults. When administered to old, healthy mice, the THC microdose induced remarkable long-lasting (weeks) improvement in a wide range of cognitive functions, including significant morphological and biochemical brain alterations. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects, we analyzed the gene expression of hippocampal samples from the model mice. Samples taken 5 days after THC treatment showed significant differential expression of genes associated with neurogenesis and brain development. In samples taken 5 weeks after treatment, the transcriptional signature was shifted to that of neuronal differentiation and survival. This study demonstrated the use of hippocampal transcriptome profiling in uncovering the molecular basis of the atypical, anti-aging effects of THC microdose treatment in old mice.

Discovery and proteomics analysis of effective compounds in Valeriana jatamansi jones for the treatment of anxiety

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Zhizhu Xiang (ZZX for short) is the root and rhizome of Valeriana jatamansi Jones, which is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to treat various mood disorders for more than 2000 years, especially anxiety. However, there have been few investigations to clarify the compounds in ZZX for the treatment of anxiety.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Our previous study has identified five anti-anxiety components, including hesperidin, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B and isochlorogenic acid C and chlorogenic acid, from extract of ZZX. In order to find the optimal combination and the underlying mechanism of these five components in the treatment of anxiety disorder, researches were designed based on uniform design method and proteomic technology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The samples with different proportion and content of the five active components were arranged by uniform design method. Then a mathematical model was formulated using partial least square method and stepwise regression analysis. Moreover, the empty bottle stress-induced anxiety rat model was established, and the anti-anxiety effect was recorded by the unconditioned reflex elevated maze test and the open field test. In addition, the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique, along with the multidimensional liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry were applied in proteomic study. At last, the result of proteomic analysis was further confirmed by Western blot.

RESULTS

The optimal combination of the components from the extract of ZZX was 1.153 mg/kg hesperidin, 2.197 mg/kg Isochlorogenic acid A, 0.699 mg/kg Isochlorogenic acid B and 1.249 mg/kg Chlorogenic acid. Total 6818 proteins were identified using proteomic analysis and 80 differentially expressed proteins were used for further bioinformatic analysis. These proteins were involved in the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, protein digestion and absorption, cholesterol metabolism, Chagas disease, and AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The composition and proportion of anti-anxiety components in extract of ZZX was disclosed, and there was an anti-anxiety effect for the combined components of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Through proteomic analysis and Western blot, it was found that the effective components of extract of ZZX can exert synergistic anti-anxiety effects via the regulation of multi-signaling pathways. These findings could provide a preliminary research basis for the development of new low-toxic, efficient, stable and controllable anti-anxiety drugs.

Aberrant Expression of Collagen Gene Family in the Brain Regions of Male Mice with Behavioral Psychopathologies Induced by Chronic Agonistic Interactions

Chronic agonistic interactions promote the development of experimental psychopathologies in animals: a depression-like state in chronically defeated mice and the pathology of aggressive behavior in the mice with repeated wins. The abundant research data indicate that such psychopathological states are associated with significant molecular and cellular changes in the brain. This paper aims to study the influence of a 20-day period of agonistic interactions on the expression patterns of collagen family genes encoding the proteins which are basic components of extracellular matrix (ECM) in different brain regions of mice using the RNA-Seq database. Most of differentially expressed collagen genes were shown to be upregulated in the hypothalamus and striatum of chronically aggressive and defeated mice and in the hippocampus of defeated mice, whereas downregulation of collagen genes was demonstrated in the ventral tegmental areas in both experimental groups. Aberrant expression of collagen genes induced by chronic agonistic interactions may be indicative of specific ECM defects in the brain regions of mice with alternative social experience. This is the first study demonstrating remodeling of ECM under the development of experimental disorders.

Ginger-Degraded Collagen Hydrolysate Exhibits Antidepressant Activity in Mice

Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals. Collagen hydrolysate has been found to have multiple functions in the skin, bones, joints, muscles, and blood vessels. Recently, it has been reported that the low molecular weight fraction of collagen hydrolysate exhibited anxiolytic activity, suggesting that collagen peptides affect brain functions. In the present study, we found that oral administration of ginger-degraded collagen hydrolysate (GDCH) significantly decreased depression-like behavior in a forced swim test, suggesting that GDCH exhibited antidepressant activity in mice. The antidepressant activity of GDCH was abolished by pre-treatment with an antagonist of the dopamine receptor, but not treatment with a serotonin receptor antagonist. GDCH significantly increased gene expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in the hippocampus, molecules that affect the differentiation and survival of neurons, relative to that in the control condition. Meanwhile, there were no changes in the gene expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, and neurotrophin-3, major factors related to depression-like behavior. We also found that GDCH exhibited antidepressant activity in corticosterone-administered mice in a model of stress. In addition, GDCH increased GDNF and CNTF expression in the stressed condition, suggesting that mechanisms of the antidepressant activity of GDCH were the same in unstressed and stressed conditions. These results imply that GDCH exhibits antidepressant activity in unstressed and stressed conditions in mice. The upregulation of neurotrophic genes in the hippocampus may contribute to the reduction of depression-like behavior via a dopamine signal pathway modulated by GDCH.

Computational dissection of human episodic memory reveals mental process-specific genetic profiles

Episodic memory performance is the result of distinct mental processes, such as learning, memory maintenance, and emotional modulation of memory strength. Such processes can be effectively dissociated using computational models. Here we performed gene set enrichment analyses of model parameters estimated from the episodic memory performance of 1,765 healthy young adults. We report robust and replicated associations of the amine compound SLC (solute-carrier) transporters gene set with the learning rate, of the collagen formation and transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity gene sets with the modulation of memory strength by negative emotional arousal, and of the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) interactions gene set with the repetition-based memory improvement. Furthermore, in a large functional MRI sample of 795 subjects we found that the association between L1CAM interactions and memory maintenance revealed large clusters of differences in brain activity in frontal cortical areas. Our findings provide converging evidence that distinct genetic profiles underlie specific mental processes of human episodic memory. They also provide empirical support to previous theoretical and neurobiological studies linking specific neuromodulators to the learning rate and linking neural cell adhesion molecules to memory maintenance. Furthermore, our study suggests additional memory-related genetic pathways, which may contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiology of human memory.